


Diamonds

by collapsingStars



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Colors, Confessions, Eyes, Growing Up, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, Quadrant Vacillation, Shades, TW: Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-23 07:10:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/619439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/collapsingStars/pseuds/collapsingStars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wasn't it supposed to be a subtle slow change? Not all at once? When the hell did this happen?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diamonds

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry. This is probably terribly dumb, but I really like the idea of Karkat diamonds Dave. Especially when it comes to trolls growing up. And if you're look for Karezi, this will make you cry and kill me. So DON'T I gave you warning.

Karkat woke to a beat-box outside his room. It was playing that infernal noise Strider called hip-hop. How he managed to get that on the meteor in the process of his game session's blow up... Karkat had no idea. Strider knocked three times on the door.

“Yo, lazy ass. Terezi says to get your butt out of bed. It's the middle day. She wants to talk to you.”

“I KNOW WHAT TIME OF DAY IT IS FUCKASS. YOU TELL TEREZI I'LL GET UP WHEN I DAMN WELL... FEEL LIKE IT.” His voiced cracked. “She fucking knows why I sleep so long.”

“Alright dude. Don't shoot the messenger. Just don't get mad at me if TZ comes in here banging the door down.” The sound of beat-boxing getting farther down the hall.

Karkat's head hit the pillow and turned to stare at the ceiling. He sighed at another long day ahead of him. He was up late shoosh papping Gamzee into oblivion after he had stabbed TZ “by accident.” Sure they were kismesis and all but they ought to know better that drawing blood would make Gamzee revert to a killing frenzy. Maybe he should just let them kill each other. They were causing him nothing but pain anyway.

He got up from his bed and made his way to the ablution trap. A shower would be magnificent right now. Being covered in three different shades of blood was not his idea of an outfit. At least none of the scratches were deep enough to really bleed. Karkat had gotten good practice at dodging Gamzee's attacks. Karkat, despite being his moirail, knew that if he were covered in his own blood, he wouldn't be able to stop Gamzee. Whatever hierarchy blood shit was up with him made him react violently to any sort of mutant or low-blood. He turned the shower on as hot as fucking possible and let the purple, red and teal drip from his skin. How funny it would be if Gamzee knew his moirail was of extremely low blood. Gamzee would probably forget that Karkat was his moirail. In fact, Karkat thought, as the water slid from his face, Gamzee probably wouldn't care. This pale feeling was probably one sided.  


He was Gamzee's moirail. Gamzee was not necessarily his, especially when he never came to comfort Karkat and Karkat didn't know what Gamzee was even up to half the time. He sighed as his back hit the shower wall and slid down. That left all his quadrants open again. He had to be the shittiest troll at finding someone he loved or hated, platonic-ally or not. Unless he was auspistice between Gamzee and TZ.  


Actually no, he thought. Fuck that shit rather noisily. He wasn't going to pale black between anyone. That was just a bad idea. The only reason he had stepped in last night was because he didn't like seeing TZ hurt. Karkat was selfish and he knew it; he just wanted TZ for himself. But the ship was sailing. He was watching it go but he still had yet to pull up the anchor, because Karkat didn't want to see it go. But it was going to. There was only so much to hold on to after being told blatantly no.  


He stepped out of the shower. Karkat shook his head free and resolved to quit thinking. Or he was going to sink himself into depression, or more angry yelling than necessary. He was a completely free troll and no one in their right mind would want him for anything. He wasn't okay with that but he wasn't sure he could change that.  


He toweled his hair dry and wrapped the towel around his waist. He debated whether or not to brush it. It would just be a mess later. Just to keep the knots out? He thought about nothing at all as he threw on the usual ensemble he always wore. The gray long sleeved t-shirt with the his symbol gray jeans and converse. His resolve to stop thinking was failing. He kept reverting back to last night trying to imagine what triggered (aha Kankri would be so proud) Gamzee.  


There was a knock on the door. He stood up and answered, wondering who the hell wanted what from him. Terezi. Of course the impatient bitch wouldn't wait until he came out. She went to see him. She was covered in chalk, probably cam from Can Town.  


“H3y K4rk4t”  


“Hey Terezi.” She talked quietly, shyly, and so did he. “How are you wounds healing?”  


“th3yll b3 f1n3 my stom4ch m4k3s my h34d hurt wh1ch m4k3s 1t h4rd3r to sm3ll but 1m ok4y” She guided herself into the room and plopped herself down in the desk chair with perfection. She knew where everything was, smells or not.  


“so 4bout, l4st n1ght...” she began.  


“What about it?”  


“d1d you just put yours3lf 1nto th3 4usp1st1c3 qu4dr4nt for m3 4nd g4mz33 or wh4t?”  


He spewed non existent drink. “No, fuck that rather noisily. I don't want to be in the middle of anyone's hate. I have enough for myself.”  


“Th3n why d1d you do 1t”  


“Do you want the honest answer or the lie?”  


“1ll just sm3ll out th3 truth 4nyw4y so g1ve m3 th4at.”  


“I did because I am a fucking entirely selfish excuse for a troll.” Karkat didn't know why he let it go. It was on his mind, and since he was being rather blunt with himself anyway he might as well be blunt with TZ.  


“w41t wh4t”  


“I did it because I am selfish. I didn't do it because Gamzee is my moirail, or that I wanted to auspistice between you two. I did it on instinct for you because I flushed for you, at one time, so damn hard. And some sub-conscious part of me hoped that if I swung in and saved your ass that you might begin to consider me for a fucking matesprit. But you already said no, I understand that, and I can see the ship sailing TZ I really can, it's just slow going because the anchor is still in my fucking hands. I'm afraid if I let it go I'm just going to be revert to what my six sweep old, yelling self was and that I'll stay that way.”  


Terezi was silent. He leaned against the door frame to he bathroom which stood open, and hung his head. He wanted an answer, but damn it felt good to get that off his chest. He felt slim arms come around his waist and a head bury itself in his shoulder. He stood shocked that TZ was hugging him, and when did he get taller than her? He felt the figurative anchor in his grip tighten ever so slightly.  


“th3 4nsw3r 1s st1ll no K4rk4t.” The anchor was loosed quite a lot. “but 1ts good to h34r you b31ng hon3st w1th m3 4nd yours3lf.”  


“Yup. Just honest old little me, growing up.”  


“c4n w3 st4y l1k3 th1s? M3 4nd you 4s fr13nds 4nd not 4ll th1s confus1on?”  


Karkat thought a bit. It hurt, it really did. But he needed to move on. He let the anchor drop from his hands and the ship sped. He felt freer. Happier. With the exception of his now empty quadrants, he was free.  


“Yeah, we can do that.”  


“th4nks. 1T m3ans 4 lot to m3. B3sid3s 1 don’t know why yous th1nk th4t you could 3v3r r3v3rt to b31ng th1rt33n you 4r3 mor3 m4tur3d th4n most of us now.”  


“What makes you say that?” he said as she pulled away.  


“1 don’t know but your3 h34d sm3lls l1k3 c4ndy r3d blood you m1ght w4nt to w4sh your h41r.”  


“But I just washed it.” She stepped toward the door and moved to leave.  


“1 know th4ts why 1 4m confus3d, th1s h34d4ch3 1s k1ll1ng m3 4md my s3ns3 of sm3ll,1mm4 l13 down.”  


“Okay...Bye Tezi.”  


“By3 K4rkl3s” She shut the door behind her leaving Karkat alone again. He slunk toward the ground not quite sure how to deal with “all the feels.”  
He wasn't flushed for anybody, which was new for him, he didn't have a moirail, kind of. He was his own person. And he felt empty. He wasn't quite sure how to deal with that. Damn Terezi for making him think this morning. Ugh! At least he wouldn't really pine for her.  


Why the hell did he smell like blood? He was grateful TZ had found it and not anyone else, cause she knew his color already, but he was trying to hide it now, for Gamzee's sake. But dammit if he had to get back in the shower again. He twisted around in the mirror to try and see the back of his head. The wound wasn't on the front it would have been seeping onto his face. He couldn't see anything on the back of his head, not like he wasn't twisted at a funny angle to do so.  
And then he saw what Terezi had been smelling, but couldn't identify.  


Shit, shit, fucking hell no, shit, mother-hugging, dumb dumb, fuck fuck FUCK. He thought. Anything bit that. DAMMIT.  


He looked closer into the mirror. Wasn't it supposed to be a subtle slow change? Not all at once? When the hell did this happen?  


His eyes shone a candy red against his dark black iris and yellow eye. There were flecks of gold and gray rimmed the very outer edge.  


Karkat screamed.  


“Hey Vantas!” he heard Strider yell from outside his bedroom door. “What the hell was that? TZ said you were going to scream or some shit? So I should be here. But that wasn't girly at all like I thought.” he said coolly.  


“GO AWAY.”  


“Like hell I will. You've peaked my interest.” Karkat ran into his room. Dammit he had no idea what do do with his eyes. Suddenly the lock popped. And he sat at his desk and hid his face with his hands.  


“GET OUT.”  


“No, way dude. Terezi said to hear you scream and come running. She must have a damn good reason. So what the ever loving fuck is your problem so I can fix it and move on with my life.” He didn't even sound mad. He was just here for some reason Terezi made him. He would follow the girl to the end of the earth and back.  


“JUST LEAVE DAMMIT PLEASE.”  


“Nope, since I use every chance to make you life miserable I might as well stay because it's the exact opposite if what you want me to do.”  


“You fucking DOUCHEBAG.” Karkat threw a sickle blind in the direction of Strider's voice.  


“Three inches to the right and I would be a dead man Karkat. You're almost as good as Terezi.”  


“SHE TAUGHT ME AT SOME POINT.”  


“Look's like it payed off a little. Now do you want to try that again with your eyes open.”  


“HELL NO.”  


“Open you eyes dude. I want to strife.”  


“NOT RIGHT NOW. JUST LEAVE.”  


“Dude open your eyes.”  


“NO.”  


“Then I'll make em open.” Karkat felt something suddenly flash step into his lap. Straddled with hid legs on either side of Vantas's Strider began to pry Karkat's hands away from his face. Karkat fought back trying to bite him.  


“GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME.”  


“Nope.”  


Despite maturing, Strider was still stronger than Karkat. He manged to get both hands away and in his lap Strider holding them above Karkat's head. Karkat struggled but Strider had a firm hold on his being. He tried to twist this and that way but he was thoroughly stuck to the chair. With Strider on top of him. He stopped and kept his eyes closed.  


“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?”  


“Trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with you so I can possibly use it against you to annoy you more.”  


“WHY THE HELL DO YOU EVEN CARE DAVE?” There was only silence for a while in answer. He was still there, the dumb dumb was breathing on top of him.  


“WELL?”  


“Heh. You called me Dave.”  


“CAUSE YOU ARE ANNOYING THE HELL OUTTA ME. AND I AM TIRED. AND DISTRESSED. SO IF YOU WOULDNT MIND DAVE GETTING THE FUCK OFF OF ME SO I CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO FIX MY DISTRESS I WOULD VERY MUCH APPERCIATE IT.”  


“Open your eyes first.”  


“NO WAY.”  


“What the hell could be wrong with your eyes? Did the suddenly turn kawaii or something all sparkly and pretty and pink. Oh I bet they did, are you afraid senpaii might notice?”  


“OH HELL NO.” Karkat gave him his most defiant glare.  


Dave blanched. Karkat squeaked realizing he had opened his eyes to glare at him. He stared at the black lenses. He was a fucking idiot. His eyes were going to freak everyone out, he was never going to have a normal existence, he was going to be culled by Gamzee, the humans would reject them. After he was feeling better about himself too. Dammit. He hung his head. He was grateful he couldn't see the horror behind the pitch black shades.  


“Put your head back Karkat.” Against his better judgment he looked up incredulous at Dave. His face went from cool to shocked to calculating. Karkat had no idea what was going through his head and wished that he could see through the shades.  


His wish was granted. Dave grunted and slid them up onto his head, pulling his hair back with him, and Karkat was met with bright red eyes, much like his own. 

He stifled a gasp but opened his own eyes wider.  


“Thanks doll, I needed to see how much bigger your eyes could get. How much larger are your eyes compared to mine Karkat?”  


“Um... I don't know. Probably about the same, or half a size larger. We need to see more for battle so...”  


“Hold on right there.” He loosed his hold around Karakt's wrists, and slid off of his lap, never breaking eye contact.  


“Stay right here. Trust me.” Dave left and Kakrat got up and moved into the bathroom. He stared at the mirror again while he waited for Dave. He couldn't believe that his eyes had finally turned. And all at once. Usually this didn't happen until you were about 9 sweeps. He was only seven and two-thirds (sixteen). He stared incredulously at the mirror. Terezi knew the whole time she was in the room too. He just got that. Why the hell would she send Dave though? Because his eyes were the same?  


“Where the hell did you go Vantas?”  


“I'm in here douche bag.” Dave stepped into the bathroom. He held a medium sized box in his hands.  


“Terezi explained troll blood to me once. Why it would matter now I have no idea. But if yours is that low, culling worthy low, and I'm thinking Gamzee might be a danger here then these might help.” He opened the box. Inside were several rows of blue and white cases and on top was a pair of sunglasses. They looked like Dave's but they were gray, the lenses were reflective. And they were oval rather than drop rounds. He put them on. He could see through them as clear as day, but when he looked into the mirrow he couldn't see any trace of his eyes at all.  


“Like em?”  


“Yeah. Yeah sure.”  


“Okay take them off.”  


“Aw... why?”  


“Cause you fight a lot and those are going to die in the long run cause you wont be able to fight in them. So try these. I can't wear them, they irritate me too much. You can have em.  


“What are they?”  


“Colored Contacts.”  


“What?”  


“Here let me show you.” He took out one of the blue and white packages and unscrewed the lid of the one labeled L.  


“There are right and left ones.” He said matching what Karkat was thinking. “R and L. On Earth usually contacts are corrective lenses, glasses like John and Dave wear, but they go in your eye.”  


“WAIT WHAT THE FUCK?”  


“Shut up. It doesn't hurt their plastic or some shit. Anyway. These aren't corrective but you put them in and they change the color of your iris's.” He modeled how to put one in. It slid over his eye and he blinked a couple times. Then he opened it wide to show Karkat. His iris had changed colors from his red to gray. Karkat leaned back in surprise. It looked pretty big on his eye as he took it off.  


“I'm going to keep this pair now, you can't share all them nasty eye germs, and you try. Put both in. Careful of the claws.” Karkat sighed. He'd try.  


About a half an hour later Karkat was flat on his back on his bedroom floor staring at the ceiling blinking repeatedly. The contacts were a little unnerving. The contacts, which were adult sized that were too big on Dave were a tad small on Karkat. They fit exactly around his iris changing the whole red, tinting it gray. He could see through the entire iris though which was big, and his eyes were once again, gray, like most trolls. He reached a hand to his eye to rub some of the red liquid away.  


“Don't rub you grub-munch.” Dave smacked his hand away from beside him on the floor. He was wearing the contacts to, though the tint made them more purple than gray Karkat originally thought.  


“I wasn't!”  


“Then put your hand back down next to mine.”  


He put his hand on the ground and resisted the urge. It was unnerving that for once in their short time span on the meteor that he and Dave were not yelling at each other, or pranking, or trolling, or anything really. It was a “motherfucking miracle.” He wondered when he and Dave had gone from Hate to... this.  


“Why do you care Dave?”  


“What?” He leaned up to look down at Karkat. His head was right next to Dave's, body lying the other direction. North and South.  


“Why are you helping me, and even, dare I say it, suffering through with me?” He just shrugged. “Dammit Strider I know you have an answer, I can see your eyes, not hiding a fucking thing.”  


“Dang after I worked so hard to be called Dave.”  


“THEN TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE FUCKING THINKING DAVE.”  


“I guess... How do you trolls put it? I don't know, sympathize with you I guess. Personally, Physically. I understand the whole hiding your colors thing. On earth I was considered albino, which means really really white and pale, and we have these dark red irises. Anyway. Not that anybody would kill me, except in Africa where being albino was a sacred sacrifice thing amongst all the black people, but it disturbed people so I hid it. I was ashamed of it.”  


“How the hell can you sympathize to me personally? I get physically but still...”  


“Trying to measure up to something you're not.”  


“That doesn't make a lick of fucking... oh wait.”  


“I try to measure up to my Bro, who is amazing and everything I'm not, or never fucking will be, and you try to measure up to your own ideals. Or Kankri. You're failing and stuff that you feel you are never quite adequate.”  


“OH HELL NO. I will never be able to measure up to Kankri, heaven forbid. I cannot move my mouth that much ever.” Dave chuckled, “so if you can sympathize why beat me the hell up?”  


“Cause I don't like pitying anyone. I was mad at you cause I pitied you.”  


“Um...” Karkat sat up and watched Dave. “Thank...?”  


“Ah fuck I said something that relates the quadrants crap again and I just screwed myself over didn't I?”  


“To me, saying you pity me, is like a confession of love to your species.” Karkat snorted through the tears streaming down his face.  


“Ah fuck that's not what I meant Karkat and you know it.” Cool guy lost his cool trying to find the right words. “I uh, pity you... platonic-ally.” Karkat laughed and wiped the tears from his eyes as Dave lost his cool and tried to think of the right words. Karkat put a hand to his mouth to stop him.  


“Cool it cool guy. You're fine.”  


“ybetnerTRELLANBOFY.”  


“What?” Dave bit his hand and Karkat pulled away.  


“You better not tell anybody. I work too fucking hard to build this cool kid reputation to have one motherfucking nub-horned troll take it down.”  


“Then tell me, did you mean it when you said you pitied me platonic-ally?”  


“Tell what that means again?”  


“Moirails. Um... Best friends, in Human terms. Diamonds out of all that quadrant shit. Pale red. No actual pailing, relationship shit involved. Friends.”  


“Okay I get it. I thought Gamzee was your...”  


“Pfft. More like I'm his babysitter. I don't have anyone to feelings jam with right now.”  


“Is that what we are doing?”  


“Yeah.”  


“Then sure, I can dig being moirails with you.” Karkat did a double take. Dave was being open with a smile/smirk and everything.  


“Wow. Alright.”  


“Now don't tell anybody my walls came down for you. I have a reputation to uphold.”  


“Yeah yeah whatever fuckass.”  


“I don't know though. I'm gonna miss strifing and yelling at each other and shit.”  


“We can do all that, except we stop trying to actually kill each other when we do.”  


“Cool. Now I am done suffering with you. I am going to take these damn things out before my entire eye goes blood-shot red.”  


“Right behind you. Want to go get a late lunch afterward I'm starving.”  


“You just want to fucking wear those shit awesome shades.”  


“That too.” They stepped into the bathroom to take out the contacts.  


Terezi leaned her gentle ear against the door. Strider and Karkat were definitely inside having a feelings jam. She was shocked to hear Dave laugh and Karkat purr. And to hear the word moirail. Well that had worked better than she had hoped.

“Did it work?” Rose stepped behind her.

“H3LL Y3S.”

“Good now Dave and Karkat will stop fighting and bitching, I hope.”

“4ND K4RKL3S 1SN'T 4LON3 4FT3R 4LL.”

“Wait did they...?”

“MO1R41LS.”

“Cause Gamzee has you now?”

“MOR3 OR L3SS.”

“Want to go grab a victory bite with Kanaya and me?”

“SUR3.”


End file.
